By Aphiwe Ngowapi
Nathaniel Nyaluza principal Mzwandile Kleyi has been suspended pending a Department of Education investigation after clashing with his learners over the lack of water at the school.
The conflict began on Wednesday, 5 March, when the school’s water tanks ran dry. Dehydrated from the summer heat, students approached the principal to request that the tanks be refilled.
The tanks were no longer being replenished with rainwater because the asbestos roofs and pipes posed health risks.
On Thursday 6 March, when Kleyi failed to address the learners’ needs, they protested. He then contacted the Makana Municipality to send a water truck to refill the drinking water tanks. However, when the municipal truck arrived, Kleyi was absent, and the students refused the water, deeming it undrinkable.
The next day, Friday, 7 March, during assembly, Kleyi called the students “ungrateful hooligans” for rejecting the municipality’s water. Learners said Kleyi did not allow them to voice their water concerns.
Student representatives then wrote a letter to the principal expressing their dissatisfaction and requesting a meeting with the school staff, the School Governing Body (SGB), and the principal on Thursday, 13 March, at 4 pm. They asked that letters be sent to their parents notifying them of the meeting.
However, learners said Kleyi ignored their request and did not distribute the letter or communicate with the teachers, SGB, or parents.
When Grocott’s Mail arrived last Thursday morning, the students were chanting “Kleyi uyahamba” outside the principal’s office. Some learners alleged that Kleyi had threatened them with a knife during the protest.
Kleyi called the SAPS, reportedly expressing concern for his own safety. He also informed the SGB that the students were protesting.
Following a lengthy meeting involving Kleyi, SAPS, and the school’s Representative Council of Learners (RCL) in the principal’s office, the police called for backup to escort him out of the building, and Kleyi was escorted off the school premises in a SAPS vehicle.
Meanwhile, staff, the SGB, SAPS, a representative from the Department of Education, and a councillor held their own meeting in the staff room.
After this meeting, students cheered as they were addressed by Mbulelo Lepile of the SGB, Mandisi Matyolo, head of the Cluster Management Centre (CMC) of the Education Department, and Mbuyiselo Mayase, the Education Development Officer for Nathaniel Nyaluza, who announced the appointment of the deputy principal Andile Njovane as the new acting principal.
Matyolo apologized to the students for making them stand in the rain, assuring them that the matter was under investigation and would be dealt with at the provincial level.
The new acting principal informed the students that classes would continue as usual on Friday, 14 March and that there would be an emergency meeting with parents.
The Friday meeting, attended by police, teachers, the School Governing Body (SGB), parents, the Representative Council of Learners (RCL), and students, addressed the recent incident. The RCL recounted the events.
The meeting aimed to reassure parents and ensure they received firsthand updates from school officials, as the incident had already attracted external attention.
